Why do I get a text that reads "feet" on the top corner of the 3d viewport?
That are your units of measurement.
For Version 2.8X Enable/Disable Text Info in the Overlay Controls.

Then set the scale to the Unit System in which you measure.

For Versions 2.7x
You can change them under the Unit tab in the Scene Properties menu.

If you want &quot;Blender&quot; measurements just set the length to none.